Water column



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WATER COLUMN Original Filed Jun 16 x9721 "A'shets-Sheez 1 I Jame 24 19524. 1,498,851

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' W. O. A$H

WATER comm 7 ori inal Filed J1me 16. x92: 4 sheets-sheets;

avwawtoz w. 0. AsHE WATER comm Jame -24 Original Fneq June 16. 1921 4 sneets -srieet 4 avwwvtoz a enliven new, or YonnEas, new YO, ASSIGNOR TO NATHAN nanosec- TURINQ, OF NEW YORK, 1Q. Y., A COMORATION OF NEW YORK.

WATER COLUMN.

original application and June 1c, 1921, Serial no. 477,872. ,nivmea and. this application filed September 14, 1922. Serial m. 588,282.' I

To all whom it may co'mem: 7

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM OLIVER ASHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Water Column, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to water columns, 10 and more particularly to the adaptation and arrangement of parts in connection therewith, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out. I

This ap lication is a division of my application erial No. 477,872, filed in the United States Patent Ofice June 16, 1921.

Serious problems have arisen I in engine practice in relation to determining the correct indication of the height of water in the boiler over the crown sheet, which is the top of the fire box. the gage cock of ordinary locomotive practice correctly indicates the desired height of water over the crown sheet. The height of water as indicated by both thewater gage and gage cock is more particularly at fault during the period when the locomotive is in operation with the throttle valve of the engine open.

so It has beendetermined by exhaustive investigation of this subject by the Federal boiler ins ection service that in a'locomotive boiler which usually has-a sloping back head there is a very severe circulation in the back at head of the boiler when the locomotive is in operation with the throttle valve of the engine -open, This investigation disclosed that often while the locomotive is inoperation with the throttle valve of-the engine to open the water ge and also all three gage cocks indicate t at the waterin the boiler is above the height required, whereas on stoppin' the locomotive it has been determined t at with the locomotive at rest the as actual height of water in the boiler was far below the amount required for the safety of both the boilerand of the crown sheet.

This false indication in both the watergage and gage cock of usual locomotive as practice often leads not only to the damage Neither the water gage no'r' and unnecessary hazards of the present 10- comotive and engine practice, and enables the operator or engineer to at all times and under all conditions know the correct height mediate device between the boiler and. the

gage cock and gage glass, which is the water column. This consists practically of a long cylinder of proper diameter withtop and bottom connections to the steam space and water space of the boiler, and is provided with proper means for attaching to said column gage cocks and. a water gage.

There is very little available space. on the back head of a locomotive, as there are so many necessary'appliance's; located the're in drder that they may be within easy reach and sight of the engineer at all times. The

available s ace for application of the water column is a so greatly restricted by the main throttle lever. The ap lication of two' water glasses, one of whic is applied to the water column on the right hand side of the back head, further restricts the back head space. It has therefore been necessary, in order to make my device practical in locomotive practice, to so construct the water column that it willlie, close to the boiler head its, entiredength and particularly at its lowerjexftriiiit where the space available is most limite and I have so devised it with the lower portion havin a substantially reduced cross section. It 1s also necessary in locomotive practice that the handles of the valves of the gage cocks and of the water age should lie as close as ossible to the valves, as otherwise they Wil interfere with the other appliances. I have solved both of these pro ems.

Referring to the drawings, Figural is a front view of my device; Fi 2--is a side view of the water column as s own in Figure 1, but with a. portion of the lower end broken away; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a .fraentary cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, part of which is broken away for convenience; Fig. 5 is e shown.

cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of my device showing the sloping back head of the usual locomotive boiler in dotted outline and with the connections broken away;v

Fig. 7 is a front View of the-devioe shown inlFig. 6 as seen facing the back head of the boiler and Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing the manner of mounting the gage cock in the water column.

In the drawings 6 is the main body of the water column to which'are cast integrally three necks 7, having external left hand threads 8, and on which are adapted to be mounted three gage cocks which are not The body 6 also has integrally cast thereto abracket -9which is adapted to be bolted to the boiler head. Another bracket, which is not shown, is also integrally cast to the body 6, to which is adapted to be rigidly secured a dripper of normal construction not shown, and which is adapted to catch.

water and steam from the gage cocks. At the, upper end of the body 6 is a neck 11 having an external thread 12, which is adapted to be connected to the top of the boiler head or steam headby a pipe in the usual manner. Connection 15 also made to the lower or water containing part of the boiler head at the bottom of the body 6 by means of a threaded boring 13, lnto which a pipe is adapted to be threaded in the usual way, connecting the body of the water column thereto.

The body 6 also has integrally cast therein necks 14 and 15, both of which'are internally threaded, and into which by means of usual pipe connections is adapted to be secured a water gage which is not shown.

The gage cocks have external threads adapted to enga e internal threads 16 in the necks 7, which a so have tapered valve seats 17 adapted to seat the valve of said gage cocks. It should be noted that by placing the valve seat 17 in the body of the column 6 and that by arranging the gage cocks so that they are secured directly to the necks 17 of the column 6, a very material saving in the extension of the age cock from the body of the column 6 1s efi'ected. This effects a very material saving in the ve restricted space available in the cab o the locomotive.

In the operation of the water column the water will circulate freely fromthe boiler boring 13 and the connections thence through the body 6 until it finds its level.

team will enter the water column body 6 through the boring 12 and connections from the steam head of the boiler. This steam will cause a downward pressure on the water in both the body 6 and the water gage c0nnested thereto and thereby correct the water level n the water gage and gage cocks sereeaeer cured to necks 7. lltis thus seen that the water in coming from the boiler-"is received directly into the water column body 6 before it passes into the water gage, and has an opportunity to become stablizedas to its level in the body 6, thereby correcting said water level before it is indicated in the water gage or the gage cocks secured to necks 7.

The lower portion of body 6 is made with a flattened portion 18 in which suitably threaded borings similar to 13 can be made at the point in said flattened portion 18, where it is desired to make connection to the water head of the boiler. A boring 19 is arranged in alignment with boring 13 to facilitate'cleaning this lower connection to the boiler. A drain neck connection 20 for the body 6 is made integral with the body 6 and 20 has an internal threading 21.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the main'body 6 of the water column has cast integrally therewith three necks 7 having externalleft hand threads 8, and on which are adapted to be mounted three gage cocks 22 by means of coupling, nuts I 23 which are internally threaded at 24 with the left handthread ,ada ted to engage the left hand thread 8.

Y e body 6 also has integrally cast thereto a bracket 9 which is adapted to be bolted by means of bolt 25 to bracket 26 which is rigidly secured to the boiler head. Anotherbracket 27 is also integrally cast to the body 6 to which is adapted to be rigidly secured a dripper of usual construction (not shown) which is adapted to catch water and steam from the gage cocks 22. At the upper end of the body 6 is a neck 11 having an external thread 12 to which connection is made by union coupling 28 hav ing an internal thread and thereby connecting the same to a pipe 29, which at its opposite end is connected to the top of the boller head or steam head. Connection is also made to the lower or water containln part of the boiler head at the bottom 0? the body 6 by means of a threaded boring 13 into which a pipe 30' having union coupl ng 31 is adapted to be threaded, coninecting the body of the water column there- The body 6 also has integrall cast therein necks 14 and 15, both of w ich are internally threaded, and into which by means of union couplings 32 and 33 are secured pipe connections 34 and 35 respectively. The pipes 3.4. and 35 are connected in the usual manner to a water gage which is not shown.

The gage cocks 22 have bodies 36 which have right hand external threads 37 adapted to engage the right hand internal threads 24 of the coupling nuts 23. A spindle 38 has a left hand threaded lower member 39 terminating in a ball shaped end 40, said threaded member 39 being adapted to engage an internal thread 41 which also has of the column 6 and that by arranging the gage cock body directly to the neck 7 of the column 6, a very material saving in the extension of the gage cock from the body of the column 6 has been elfected. This eifects a very material saving in the very restricted space available in the cab of the locomotive.

In the operation of the water column as described the water will circulate freely from the boiler through pipe 30, thence through the body 6 until it finds its level. Steam Will enter the water column body 6 through the pipe 29 and connections from the steam head of the boiler. This steam will cause a' downward pressure on the water in the bod 6 and thereby correct the water level in t 1e cocks 22. The lower gage cook 22 is on the level which indicates the lowest safety point for water in the boiler. The other two gage cocks 22 will on opening indicate whether the water is at those levels or below. It is thus seen that the water in coming from the boiler is received directly into the Water column 6 and has an opportunity to become stabilized as to its level in the bod 6 thereby correcting said water level be ore it is indicated by opening the gage cocks 22.

I claim:

1. A water column having a body constructed so that throughout its len h it will lie relatively close to a sloping oiler head while maintaining its vertical position.

2. A water column having a body con-' structed so that throughout its length it will lie relatively close to a sloping boiler head while maintaining its vertical position and valve seats integral with said body.

3. A water column having a body con- 36 so that it is secured ""structed so that throughout its length it will lie relatively close to a sloping boiler head while maintaining its vertical. position in combination with gage cocks having valves seating directly in said body.

'4. A water column having a body constructed so that throughout its length it will lie relatively close to a sloping boiler head while maintaining its vertical position, gage cock necks integral with said column, valve seats in the base of said necks and gage cock spindles mounted in said necks.

5. A water column having a body constructed so that throughout its length it will lie' relatively close to a sloping boiler ing its vertical position, necks integral with sa1d body having valve seats in their bases and gage cocks mounted directly in said necks so that the valves in said gage cocks seat in said valve seats.

7. The combination of a water column having a body constructed so that throughout its length it will lie relatively close to a sloping boiler head while maintaining its vertical position, valve seats integral with said body and gage cocks having valves which seat in said valve seats.

8. The combination of a water column having a body constructed so that throughout its length it will lie relatively close to a sloplng boiler head while maintaining its vertical position, gage cock necks integral with said body and gage cock spindles mounted directly in said necks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa- 

